Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM International, said: “RSM’s long-term commitment is to be the adviser of choice to middle market businesses around the world.

“We are responding to changing business conditions and adapting our services to help businesses meet the challenges they face, including GDPR, Brexit, NAFTA, VAT in the Gulf region, and transparency in Africa – to name just a few.”

Last year also saw a 4.8% and 17% rise in tax services in North America and Asia Pacific respectively. This follows the cut in the US corporation tax rate, revealing early signs that the US-China tax competition will continue to spark growth in 2018.

Other services amount to US$111m, and includes the recent introduction of significant legal services across several RSM firms.

It strongest regional growth was in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a growth of 13.6% and a 30% increase in outbound referrals, as clients seek support with international expansion and challenging external environments.

Recognising this need, RSM added presence in Mozambique and Malawi among others in 2017.

In North America, fee income grew by 5.5% to $3.2bn, with a thriving cyber consultancy practice helping consultancy fees grow each year. RSM Canada joined the network in December last year.